Migraine
by OwenHarpersGirl
Summary: Anders' Bragi powers are doing him more harm than good and it is up Michele and his brothers to help him. Anders/Michele. Ty/Dawn.
1. Make Him Stop

Migraine

Make Him Stop

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Almighty Johnsons**_**.**

Michele walked down the hall to Anders' flat. He had texted her a couple hours ago asking if she wanted to come over later and she had agreed. Se was surprised to find that she had actually been happy when he text her. Once upon a time seeing Anders name come up on her phone would have made her cringe. Now however... She shook her head. She wouldn't go there, not with Anders. She went there with Mike and that hadn't ended well. Anders was a whole different ball park.

"She knocked on his door and waited... and waited... and waited. She knocked again, but still there was no answer. She heard what sounded like a groan and started to become concerned. Reaching into her bag, Michele pulled out of the key Anders had given her a couple weeks ago. Each of his brothers had one and he told her he figured one of the goddesses should have one too. She let herself in and looked around.

"Anders?" she called quietly. There was no response, but she heard another groan from the kitchen. Walking over, she saw Anders on the ground, leaning against the fridge.

"Anders?" she rushed over t him and knelt down. He cracked his eyes open and Michele saw they were shining with tears.

"Michele," he said, his voice cracking. She placed her hand on his forehead and he leaned into the touch.

"Anders, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Make him stop," Anders said quietly.

"Make what stop?" she asked.

"Please Michele," he begged, "Make him stop."

"Him?" Michele questioned, still not understanding. What was going on? What was happening to Anders?

"B-Bragi," Anders sighed, "He won't stop. Please make him stop." He squeezed his eyes shut as a few tears leaked out. He stretched out one hand towards her and she took it, allowing him to squeeze it tightly.

"Hang on okay?" she said, moving closer so he could lean on her, "Just hang on." She pulled out her phone and dialed the once familiar number.

"Mike? You need to get over to Anders' flat. Bring the others... I can't explain right now, just get here... Anders is hurt." She hung up and put her phone down, turning her attention fully on Anders again.

"Just hang on," she said again, "It's going to be okay."

Everyone arrived twenty minutes later. Mike led them into the apartment and walked over to where Michele and Anders were still seated in the kitchen. He knelt down in front of his younger and brother and former girlfriend, concern clear on his face.

"What happened?" Mike asked.

"I don't know," Michele admitted, looking down at where Anders' head rested in her lap, "I found him like this. He just kept asking me to make him stop."

"Make who stop?" Mike asked.

"Bragi," Michele told him and Mike turned to look at where the others were gathered behind him, confusion on all their faces.

"Right," he said, "First, let's get him off the floor."

"I tried to get him to the couch, but he was in too much pain," Michele said.

"It's fine," Mike assured her, "Ty, Olaf, give me a hand?" The other two moved forward and took Anders under the arms. Anders groaned as the movement jostled his head.

"It's alright man," Ty said, "We're here to help." Anders leaned closer to Ty, feeling the coldness radiating off him. Michele followed behind them and stood near Axl as they carefully deposited Anders on the couch. Anders blinked open his eyes and looked at his brothers and grandfather in confusion.

"Michele?" he mumbled.

"I'm right here," she walked around the couch and knelt in front of him. Ignoring the others, she gently ran a hand through his blonde hair. Anders leaned into the touch, causing Michele to smile and grab his other hand.

"Anders," Mike said gently, "Can you tell is what's wrong?"

"He's so loud," Anders said desperately, "Mike, he's so loud." More tears leaked from his eyes and Michele wiped them away.

"Shhh," she hushed him, "Relax."

"Ty, put your hand on his neck," Olaf said and they all looked at him in confusion.

"What?" Ty asked.

"The cold might help," Olaf explained, "If you can dull the pain a bit then maybe he can tell us better what's wrong." Ty nodded and put his hand on the back of his older brother's beck. Anders immediately sighed and leaned into his brother's touch.

"That help?" Mike asked.

"Yeah," Anders breathed, "Still hurts, but it makes it easier."

"Is Bragi still loud?" Olaf asked.

"Yeah," Anders sighed, "It's like he's shouting in my ear. He's always there, you know? In the back of my mind... but now he's right there." Michele ran her hand through his hair again as Anders turned pleading eyes to his older brother.

"Mike please make him stop," he begged. Mike rested his hand on Anders' shoulder for a moment before pulling Olaf, Axl, and the goddesses aside.

"Alright," Mike said, "What the hell is going on?"

**Alright, so this is my first **_**Almighty Johnsons**_** fic. I watched all three seasons of the show in a couple days (can you tell I was hooked) and wanted to try writing a smaller fic before working on a longer one.**

**I would like to apologize if I get any terms wrong. I live in Canada and therefore do not know all New Zealand terms.**

**Thanks for reading and please let me know what you thought!**


	2. Bragi Powers

Bragi Powers

"I'm sorry," Anders breathed.

"What are you apologizing for?" Michele asked.

"I'm sure this isn't what you wanted to deal with tonight," Anders said, "This definitely isn't what I had planned when I text you earlier."

"I guess that's all part of it, huh?" she said quietly.

"Part of what?" Anders asked.

"Something I'm not going to say while you're barely coherent and while your brother is sitting right behind you." Michele looked at Ty and smirked.

"Damn you Ty," Anders sighed.

"Sorry bro," Ty said, "I could always leave, but I think you'd probably be even less coherent."

"Shut up," Anders mumbled, "Do they know what's going on yet?"

"Working on it," Ty told him and looked behind him where the others were still gathered.

Gathered in the kitchen, the three remaining Johnsons and the goddesses had no clue what was going on.

"There must be some reason he's suddenly in excruciating pain," Mike said, looking at the two oracles, "He didn't just collapse in pain for no reason."  
"I thought Bragi was the reason," Axl said.

"Yes," but why?" Mike asked, "Why is Bragi suddenly causing Anders so much pain when up until now they've worked together. What changed?" Olaf snapped his fingers as a look of realization dawned on his face. He walked over to the couch and sat on the table behind Michele.

"Anders, when was the last time you used your Bragi powers?" Olaf asked.

"Um," Anders opened his eyes slightly, "I don't know. A while ago?"

"Try to remember when," Olaf stressed, "It's important."

"Like, a month ago?" Anders said, "It's been a while."

"You haven't used your Bragi powers in a month?" Mike asked, "You used to use them all the time. What changed?"

"No one to use them on," Anders replied.

"Clients?" Axl asked.

"No clients," Anders told them, "Lost all the old ones when I went to Norway and no one picks up the phone when I call so we haven't had any new ones."

"What about women?" Axl questioned, "Or Dawn? You used your powers on her all the time."

"Ty asked me to stop using my powers on Dawn and after the whole Colin thing I don't really want to use them on her," Anders told them, "And I've had no need to use them on women." His eyes flickered briefly to Michele before he closed them again, grimacing in pain.

"Shhh," Michele ran her hand though his hair while Ty shifted his hand slightly.

"That explains it then," Olaf said.

"How?" Mike questioned.

"Anders hasn't used his Bragi powers in over a month," Olaf said, "In that time, Bragi has had no power and no controls, Anders held it all. Bragi is trying to get some of that control back."

"So, all Anders has to do is use his Bragi powers and this will stop?" Axl asked.

"It's not that simple," Olaf said.

"Of course it's not," Mike sighed.

"Anders is in a great deal of pain," Olaf said, "He can't even move right now. I don't see him walking out onto the street, using his Bragi powers, and magically getting better."

"So what do we do?" Mike asked.

"I think we just have to wait,' Olaf said, "He'll eventually get better and then be able to use his powers again,"

"Use them on who?" Axl asked, "If he hasn't been able to use them in a month then what's gonna change over night?"

"No one to use my powers on," Anders mumbled, "N-No- No one..." Anders trailed off as the pain in his head intensified. He groaned and gripped his head, rolling slightly.

"Anders?" Michele said quietly and he groaned again.

"Oh god," He gripped his head tighter, "Oh god, make it stop!" He started trembling, even the cold of his brother's hand wasn't making a difference anymore. He heard Michele calling his name and felt her grab his arms as he shook. The pain spiked again and everything went black.

**Here's chapter two! Thanks for reading! Sorry if it's a little OOC.**


	3. Brothers

Brothers

When Anders next awoke, it was to a steady beeping and a bright, white room. He blinked open his eyes and groaned at the brightness of the room.

"Hang on," a voice to his right said and the lights dimmed significantly, "Better?"

"Thanks," he rasped and blinked open his eyes again. He saw Mike standing next to his bed, looking down at him in concern.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You passed out," Mike told him, "We were going to try and take care of you ourselves, but you spiked a fever even Ty couldn't get rid of so we brought you here."

"How long have you been here?" Anders asked.

"Sam as her," Mike nodded to the other side of the bed. Anders turned his head and saw Michele sleeping in one of the chairs.

"How long has she been here?" Anders asked quietly.

"She hasn't left your side,| Mike told him, "She went with you in the ambulance and used her powers as a doctor to stay in the room with you even when we had to stay outside." Anders smiled slightly and stared at her for another moment before turning back to Mike.

"What?" he asked when he saws how his brother was staring at him.

"Have you told her?" Mike asked.

"Told her what?" Anders questioned.

"You know what," Mike said exasperated.

"Well, unless I said something while I was out then I don't know what you're talking about," Anders said, "Speaking of while I was out, what the hell is wrong with me?"

"Well, it started out as a god thing," Mike said, "But the doctors had to treat the fever so we told them Michele found you like that at your flat and called me. We obviously couldn't tell them it was because you're the reincarnation of a Norse God and because you hadn't used your powers in so long the God part of you got pissed." Anders nodded absently and looked back over at where Michele was sleeping.

"I was scared Mike," he admitted quietly, "One minute I was standing in my kitchen and the next the room was spinning and there was just so much pain. If Michele hadn't shown up..."

"You're alright," Mike laid his hand on Anders' shoulder.

"Mike, what's gonna happen to me?" Anders asked, "With Bragi..."

"You're gonna be okay Anders," Mike said, "We'll figure out what to do, okay?" Anders nodded and reached his hand over to grab Michele's. He knew he wasn't acting like himself right now, but he didn't care.

"Thanks," Anders said quietly, "For helping me."

"Anders, as much as I may want to kill you sometimes, you're still my brother," Mike said, smiling as he watched his younger brother. Before Anders had the chance to respond, Michele groaned and opened her eyes.

**Alright, so Anders is pretty OOC in this one, but I feel like he'd have a softer spot with someone he genuinly likes and wants to be with. Thanks so much reading! Last chapter will be up tomorrow! Let me know what you think so far!**


	4. Stuck with Me

Stuck with Me

She looked at him in confusion for a moment before she realized Anders' eyes were open and shot straight up .

"You're awake!" she exclaimed.

"So it would seem," Anders replied, smiling.

"Bloody finally," Michele sighed, "And how are you feeling?"

"Considering I've been unconscious for three days," Anders said, "Pretty good." Mike chuckled slightly as he stood up.

"I'm going to get the doctor and call the others," he walked out of the room, leaving Anders and Michele on their own.

"So..." Anders said slowly, turning back to look at Michele, "I hear you were worried." He smirked at her, expecting a sarcastic return. Instead however, Michele blinked rapidly several times before turning away from him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Anders said immediately, struggling to sit up, "Michele, I was kidding."

"I know," she said, trying and failing to keep her voice normal, "I-uh, have something in my eye." She turned back to him and Anders saw her eyes were shimmering brightly. A tear slipped down her cheek and she shook her head.

"You little bastard," she said and moved closer to hug him.

"After all this time, you'd think you'd have learned the word little does not apply to me," Anders said and Michele laughed as she pulled back.

"Don't do that again," she said seriously.

"I have no intention of letting Bragi fly off the handle again," Anders smiled.

"Anders," Michele said seriously, laying a hand on his chest, "I'm serious. Whatever you have to do to use your Bragi powers, do it."

"I have no one to use them on," Anders said, "No clients, remember? And Dawn's off limits."

"There are plenty of women out there-" Michele started.

"I have no interest in using my powers on other women," Anders said honestly.

"Anders, you need to," Michele said.

"No, Bragi needs to," Anders said, "I don't."

"I don't want to see you like that ever again," Michele said, "I was scared Anders. I got to your apartment and I didn't know what to do. Then when you passed out and your brother had to call an ambulance..."

"Michele, I'm fine," Anders said gently.

"I thought you were going to die," Michele snapped and then her face softened, "I'm not the cold hearted bitch everyone thinks I am."

"I know you're not," Anders replied, "I used to think you were, but now..."

"Now..." Michele repeated.

"Now I think I can relate better to what Ty is always talking about," Anders said. Michele leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. Someone coughed in the doorway and they broke apart. Turning, they saw a doctor standing there.

"Dr. Simmons," Michele nodded at her colleague, "How are you?"

"Fine," Dr. Simmons said shortly, "I am here to check on my patient." Michele nodded, blushing deeply as she took a step back to slow the doctor near the bed. Dr. Simmons conducted several tests and asked Anders a series of questions before casting Michele another scathing look and leaving the room.

"Well he was a joy" Anders said dryly as Michele moved back over to him, laughing.

"Oh yeah, he's even more fun to work with," she said, making Anders laugh again.

"for a guy who just spent the past several days unconscious, you sure are in a good mood," a voice said and Anders and Michele looked round to see Mike leading Olaf, Axl, Ty, and Dawn into the room.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you're doctor's a prick," Anders laughed.

"How are you though? Really?" Ty asked.

I feel fine," Anders replied, "Kind of tired and a bit confused, but there's no headache so I guess that's a plus."

"You're better?" Dawn clarified.

"Far as I can tell," Anders nodded.

"Good," Dawn said and then smacked Anders hard on the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" he complained.

"Don't ever do that again!" she said, "Your brother called and told me you were in the hospital and it was serious! I thought you were going to die!"

"Alright, alright! Chill out!" Anders help up his hands, "Sorry, I will do my best to not almost die ever again."

"Good," Dawn crossed her arms, "Cause if you die then I really will be left with all the work."

"What work?" Anders said, "There's nothing left to work on."

"Actually, while you were out, Ty and I managed to find several new clients," Dawn said.

"Really?" Anders perked up.

"Yup," Ty said, "Dawn got them to sign with j:pr and we figured you'd be able to _persuade_ them how awesome it is once you're out." Anders shot his brother a grateful look. Ty hated when he used his Bragi powers on people. Yet here he was telling Anders he'd found him people to use them on.

"Thanks," Anders said, glancing from his brother and Dawn to Michele.

"Excuse me," a voice said from the doorway and they turned to see Dr. Simmons standing there.

"Visiting hours are over, only two of you can stay," he said and stalked away.

"Well, I guess that's our cue," Olaf said, "We will see you tomorrow. Let me know if the pain starts again and I'll bring you the good stuff."

"Don't bring you drugs to the hospital grandpa," Anders said as Olaf led Axl, Ty, and Dawn out of the room.

"I'm gonna head out too," Mike said, "You'll be alright?"

"I'll be fine" Anders assured him. Mike nodded at him and Michele and then left the room.

"I'm staying," she said.

"I don't get a say in that?" he asked, though he was smiling.

"Afraid not," Michele said, "You've been unconscious and on the verge of death for three days. Now you're awake and you're stuck with me."

"I think I can live with that," Anders said as Michele sat on the edge of the bed. She stared at him for a moment before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that for a while and Michele buried her face in his neck. They didn't say anything, the hospital wasn't the right place for that. But sitting there, they both knew that they could take whatever was thrown at them, God or Mortal problem.

**So, I kinda ended it super cheesy, but I wrote this chapter at like one in the morning.**

**Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope you liked it and let me know what you thought!**


	5. Relapse

Relapse

Anders sat behind the wheel of his car, driving towards Mike's bar. He had been out of the hospital for two weeks now and had had no issues with Bragi. He had been able to use his powers on the new clients Ty and Dawn had brought in and they were currently in the process of signing several more.

Anders parked his car just outside the front door of the bar and got out. he walked around the front of car and stopped suddenly when he felt a sharp pain right behind his eyes. He felt panic swelling up inside him as the pain faded away, but immediately pushed it down. It was just a headache, nothing more. He had gotten them periodically since he turned twenty-one, a hazard of having two people inside your head. Just because he was getting a headache didn't mean there was something seriously wrong.

"Hey," a voice behind him said and Anders jumped. He turned and saw Ty standing there, looking amused.

"You alright?" Ty asked.

"Fine," Anders said, "Thought I'd forgotten my wallet." Ty nodded, but looked like he didn't fully believe him.

"Come on," Ty said and they walked into the bar.

"Hey Mike," Ty said.

"Alright guys?" Mike said, putting a drink in front of each of them as they sat down, "No more migraines?"

"All clear," Anders said, "Been using my Bragi powers on the new clients Ty and Dawn brought in and I'm good."

"Good," Mike said, "Just make sure you tell us if anything changes, okay?"

"Will do," Anders nodded, just as Axl and Olaf walked in.

"All my grandsons in one place at one time and it's not because there's a crisis to sort out," Olaf said, sitting on Anders' other side.

"Why exactly are we here?" Axl asked.

"Because, like Olaf said, I thought it would be nice to actually get together not just because it's an emergency," Mike explained.

"If there's alcohol I'm down," Anders said and Olaf raised his glass in agreement. The five Johnson men sat around talking, laughing, and drinking. Everything was going fine until Anders stood up from his seat and made his way towards the bathroom. He had walked only a couple steps when there was suddenly a blinding pain in his head and he collapsed.

"Anders!" he heard family shouting his name, but everything turned black.

**Alright, so a couple people asked me to continue so that is what I'm going to do :)**

**I want to know what people would prefer: a mortal issue or a god issue being the cause of the migraines. I have ideas for both, but I feel like I could make a much longer story with the mortal issue, but it's up to all of you :)**

**So, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	6. People we Love

People we Love

Anders awoke to hushed voices somewhere to his left. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes, trying to determine where he was.

"Anders?" a voice said.

"Michele?" he said, "Where 'm I?"

"Mike's flat," she said gently. "Your brothers brought you up here when you passed out. Do you remember?"

"Sort of," Anders said, "It's all kind of blurry."

"What do you remember?" Olaf asked, coming up behind Michele.

"I remember sitting at the bar," Anders said, "Then I stood, there was a lot of a pain, and then nothing..."

"Is this the first time this has happened?" Mike asked, "Since you got out of the hospital?" Anders was about to nod, but then he remembered what had happened outside.

"No," he shook his head, "It happened earlier." He started to sit up and Michele reached out to help him.

"Was that what happened outside?" Ty asked, "Right before I got here?" Anders nodded as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Anders, maybe you should take it easy," Mike suggested, "Especially if this isn't the first time this has happened."

"I'm fine," Anders waved him off, "Really, it's nothing."

"Can you give us a minute?" Michele asked the others and the four remaining Johnsons went down the stairs to the bar. Michele waited until they were out of the room before turning back to Anders.

"You are not fine," she said.

"I am," Anders insisted.

"No you're not!" Michele said, "You not fine Anders!"  
"Michele, relax," Anders said calmly.

"I won't relax!" she exclaimed, "I don't know what to do with you! Mike called and said you had passed out again and I was _scared_ Anders. I've been scared before and I've been scared for people before, but not like this. You're different and when Mike said you were hurt again..."

"Michele..." Anders started, but he didn't know what to say. His relationships had always been about sex before. Very rarely did they go deeper than that. But he knew exactly what she was talking about. It was different with Michele and that freaked the hell out of him.

"I love you," she said and he looked up, "I've never said that to anyone before; not Colin or Mike or any of my boyfriends in school... I stopped saying it to my parents when I realized they didn't actually care..." She laughed and looked down at her lap for a moment before looking back up at him.

"I love you Anders," she said quietly, "And that scares the hell out of me. But what scares me even more is getting a call from your brother saying you passed out again from pain and they don't know what to do. I know you think you're fine and maybe you are. Maybe this is just a god thing-"

"Maybe a god thing?" Anders interrupted.

"I'm starting to wondering if it's more than that," Michele admitted, "I want you to see a doctor and rule out the possibility this isn't something else."

"I don't want to see a doctor," Anders protested.

"Please Anders," Michele said, "Please." She sounded so desperate that all Anders could do was nod. Michele leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"What we do for the people we love," Anders sighed and Michele smiled widely, holding him tighter.

**Happy Valentine's Day! So, this chapter was kind of OOC, but as it's V-Day, I figured a little mushy stuff was alright.**

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought!**


	7. Doctor

Doctor

Anders sat in the uncomfortable waiting room chair as he waited for the doctor. He huffed and checked the time again. He wanted to get out of here; he hated hospitals. What the hell was taking so long. He stood and was about to leave when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Anders?" he turned and saw Michele walking towards him.

"Michele," he said, "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," she said, "Which you know, so if you're asking that it means you're up to something."

"Or I forgot," Anders said, but the look Michele gave him let him know she saw right through what he said.

"You were about to leave, weren't you?" she asked. Anders stared at her for a moment, trying to determine what to say, but he had nothing.

"This is one of those moment where I wish my Bragi powers worked on goddesses," he said and she sighed.

"Anders, I know you don't want to be here, but you have to," Michele said, "You need to let the doctor look at you."

"Yeah I know," he sat back down and she took the seat next to him, "I just hate waiting."

"That's because you're impatient," she said, smirking.

"I am not," Anders protested.

"You are," she laughed and then leaned closer so only he could hear, "Remember the first time I made you wait? You could barely contain yourself." Anders smirked and looked down at his feet.

"Yes, well, can't really blame me for being impatient then," Anders said, "But, anyway, why are you here? Not at the hospital, but here, in this waiting room."

"I knew your appointment was today and how much you hate waiting," she said, "So I took my break and decided since I was the one who convinced you to come here then it was only right I keep you company."

"I see," Anders laughed, "And do you have any idea how much longer this wait will be?"

"No clue," Michele said. "Knowing this hospital you'll be seen next week."

"Anders Johnson?" a voice called and they looked over to see a nurse standing there with a clipboard.

"Well, that week passed quickly," Anders said, standing up.

"Good luck," Michele said, standing with him, "Come find me when you're finished." Anders nodded as he followed the nurse down the hall.

"Wait in here," the nurse said, opening an exam room door, "The doctor will be right in."

"Great," Anders said as she left, "More waiting." Anders sat there for a while longer until the doctor finally entered the room.

"Mr. Johnson?" she said and Anders nodded, "I'm Dr. Phillips, how are you doing today?"

"Um, alright," Anders said, anxious to get this over with.

"Now, it says in your file that you had Dr. Simmons before, is that correct?" Dr. Phillips asked.

"Yeah, but he didn't exactly see eye to eye, so I thought it'd be best if I saw someone else this time," Anders said.

"Yes, Dr. Simmons has that effect on people sometimes," Dr. Phillips laughed, "Now, it also says here you were admitted a few weeks ago with an incredibly high fever and flu like symptoms, is that correct?"

"Yes it is," Anders said.

"And you told your doctor that just prior to passing out you had a migraine, si that correct?" Phillips questioned.

"Yes," Anders replied, "That's actually why I'm here. I passed out a couple days ago and right before I did there was this massive pain in my head."

"I see," Dr. Phillips wrote something in the file, "Has it only happened the two times?"

"Earlier the same day I felt some pain, but it went away and I didn't pass out," Anders told her.

"I see," she wrote something else, "Well, I would like to run a few tests to see if we can determine the cause of these headaches." Anders nodded as she stood to get some supplies. She ran through a series of tests, some of which Anders didn't know how they would help, but he did them anyway.

"Alright," Dr. Phillips finally said, "We'll give you a call once we get the results back." Anders nodded and left the room. He stood in the hall and took a deep breath before he pulled out his phone to text Michele.

**So, today is 5yrs that I have been on fanfiction so I am updating majority of my stories :)**

**Thanks for reading and there will be a new chapter on Wednesday! Let me know what you think!**


	8. One Week Later: Results

One Week Later: Results

Anders and Michele collapsed next to each other on the bed.

"Well, I'm glad to see Bragi has only affected your head and not anything else," Michele smirked and Anders laughed.

"Oh yeah, everything is definitely working," Anders said.

"Did the doctor tell you that?" Michele asked, rolling over and resting her hand on Ander's chest.

"Haven't heard from them yet," Anders replied, turning his head to look at her.

"Should be soon," she told him, "Test results normally take about a week." Anders nodded and just then, his phone started ringing.

"Hello?" he answered. He listened intently and Michele watched his face gradually grow more and more confused.

"Alright, thanks," he hung up and put his phone back on the nightstand.

"Who was that?" Michele asked.

"Hospital," Anders replied, "They didn't find anything in the results so they want me to come in for some scans."

"When do they want to see you?" Michele asked.

"Today," he replied, not looking at her.

"Hey," she said, waiting until he looked at her, "You okay?"

"I hate hospitals," he said, "And now I have to go back and get some stupid scans done because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with the first lot of tests they did."

"Hey, hey, relax," Michele said, "Listen, I'm not working today so I'll go with you."

"You don't have to," Anders said.

"I'm not doing anything today anyway," she said, "Now I won't be sitting around uselessly all day and you won't be stuck at the hospital alone."

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"Don't mention it," she replied, "When do they want to see you?"

"In an hour," he told her.

"Well then, I guess we actually have to get out of bed," she sighed and sat up. She swung her legs around and placed her feet on the ground, but before she could stand Anders had pulled her back down.

"Anders we have to get ready," she said, laughing.

"What? Is the hospital going somewhere?" he said, "We got time." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She smiled and laughed as he pulled away.

"Fifteen minutes," she conceded.

"Lot we can do in fifteen minutes," he said and leaned forward again.

**New chapter next Thursday! Let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! :)**


	9. Reassurances

Reassurances

"Aright, so we've got a couple scans to do," Dr. Phillips said, "So you just wait here and I'll be back in a few minutes when we're ready for you." Anders nodded as the doctor left the room.

"You alright?" Michele asked, walking over to him.

"Fine," Anders said tersely, "Just tired of sitting in these rooms." He gestured around to the exam room and Michele smiled at him sympathetically.

"You'll be out of here soon," she said gently and he nodded slowly.

"What if it's something else?" Anders said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Michele asked.

"I mean, what if this isn't a Bragi thing and there actually is something wrong with me?" Anders said, "I really don' want to spend more time in this hospital around people with varying... diseases." He shuddered and normally Michele would've laughed, but she had grown to understand that Anders never liked admitting when he was scared and would play it off instead.

"Hey," she said, resting her hand on his cheek, "I'm sure you're fine, okay? I know it was my idea for you to come here originally, but it was just to rule out other stuff until we figured out how to stop Bragi."

"What if it doesn't rule anything out though?" Anders said, "What if, instead, it reveals there is actually a problem?"

"Then we'll figure it out," she said, "Whether it ends up being a god problem or a mortal problem we'll figure it out."

"We?" he said, looking up at her.

"Yeah, we," she said, "What? You think if I'm just going on with you that I'm just going to leave?"

"You didn't sign up for any of this," Anders reminded her.

"Neither did you," she said, "None of us signed up for the god thing and if it's a mortal thing then you definitely didn't sign up for it. Face it Anders, you're stuck with me." He laughed quietly and nodded.

"Surprisingly, I think I can live with that," he said. At that moment, Dr. Phillips walked back into the room.

"Ready?" she smiled at him.

"As I'll ever be," Anders nodded and Michele smiled reassuringly at him.

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Hope you liked this chapter and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! New chapter next week!**


	10. Found Something

Found Something

"So they still haven't called you back?" Stacey asked from her place on Olaf's lap.

"Not yet," Anders shook his head.

"But you went in almost a week ago," she said, "They must know something by now."

"Well, these things take time don't they?" Mike said, "They've got to make sure the results are correct so they've got to take their time."

"Yeah," Michele nodded, "I'm sure you'll hear from them any day now." Anders nodded, but did not look wholly convinced. Right at that moment, Ty, Dawn, Axl, and Zeb walked into the bar.

"Hey," Mike said.

"Hey," Ty walked over and he and Dawn sat down.

"Hi," Axl said and then looked at Anders, "You hear from the doctor yet?" Anders groaned and put his head in his hands while the others laughed.

"What?" Axl asked in confusion.

"No I haven't," Anders sighed.

"Oh, well I'm sure you will soon," Axl said cheerfully and Anders couldn't help, but laugh at his baby brother's optimism.

"Thanks Axl," he said, taking another swig of his beer. They all began talking normally, trying to keep their minds off hospitals and scans for one night. Anders sat quietly between his girlfriend and Dawn, for once he didn't really feel like talking.

"You okay?" Dawn whispered and he nodded minutely.

"You'll be fine Anders," she whispered and he glanced at her. She looked so sincere when she said it that Anders actually believed her.

"Thanks Dawn," he said quietly and the two of them turned back to the conversation. After that, Anders joined in and was actually enjoying himself. All around, the Johnsons and the goddesses were having a great night without anyone threatening them or the planet. They were listening to one of Olaf's stories when Anders' phone rang.

"It's the hospital," he said quietly to Michele before excusing himself. He returned a few minutes later looking confused.

"Who was it?" Axl asked.

"Hospital," Anders said.

"See, told you you'd hear from them soon," Axl smiled, but Anders didn't smile back.

"What did they say?" Michele asked and Anders looked at her.

"They found something on the scans," he said and watched as the smiles dropped from the faces of his family.

"Did they say what?" Ty asked.

"No," Anders shook his head, "Just that I need to come in tomorrow morning so they can go over them with me."

"I'm sure it's fine," Mike tried to assure his younger brother, but Anders didn't look convinced. Michele stood and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"You'll be fine," she whispered.

**Alright, so it has recently been brought to my attention (not by anyone on here, but by someone I actually know) that I apparently don't know how to properly write dialogue. Not the words themselves, but the punctuation involved.**

**I am in my first year of university and I have never had a teacher or professor explain how to write dialogue. There was only ever one teacher who corrected something I did and it has led to the way I now write dialogue and use punctuation.**

**I do not know if it is correct as the internet has only confused me when I looked it up and I don't actually have any one I can ask. So I apologize if I am not writing any of this correctly and I also apologize for this rant.**

**Thanks for reading and I will have the next chapter up on Thursday!**


	11. Scan Results

Scan Results

**Note: I am not a medical professional**

Anders and Michele sat in Dr. Phillip's office as they waited for the doctor to arrive. They were only waiting a few minutes when Phillips walked in, followed by other man. Anders and Michele both stood as the two doctors enters and Phillips reached out her hand.

"This is Dr. Keating," she said, gesturing to the man next to her.

"Anders Johnson," Anders shook the man's hand, "This is my girlfriend Michele."

"Hi," Michele said, shaking Keating's hand.

"I've seen you before," Keating said slowly.

"I work in this hospital," Michele explained and Keating nodded as they all sat down.

"Now, Mr. Johnson," Dr. Phillips said, "The reason you're here, as you know, is because we found something on the scans we took." Anders nodded and glanced at Michele before looking at the doctor again. Keating stood and turned on the screen behind Phillips and then inserted the x-rays. Anders and Michele could se what was wrong before either doctor even pointed it out.

"Now, we won't know for sure what it is without more tests and a biopsy, but there does appear to be some sort of growth," Dr. Phillips said slowly.

"Like a tumor?" Anders asked and the two doctors nodded. Anders sat there for a moment, not saying anything. Michele looked at him and reacted one hand over to squeezed his hand. She looked back at the doctors, not letting go of her boyfriend's hand.

"You mentioned a biopsy?" she asked.

"Yes," Phillips nodded, "Dr. Keating is a surgeon here and would be the one performing it if you consent. We have other tests to run first. Now we know what we're looking at, so we can get a better idea of it's placement and sized. But a biopsy is basically inevitable as we need to get a better idea what we're working with and whether it's benign." Michele nodded and looked at her boyfriend again, but Anders still didn't say anything.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Phillips said gently, "But we're going to do everything we can-"

"What if it's not benign?" Anders finally spoke, looking up at the doctor.

"Well, then we'd have to look at out options. We could try chemotherapy to shrink it and we'd also have to look at the possibility of surgically removing the mass," Keating told him. Anders nodded and fell silent again.

"Now, we'd like to get started right away," Phillips said, "Not with the biopsy, we'll need to schedule that for some time soon. But there are some other tests we'd like to get done today, is that alright?" Anders looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah that's fine," he said, "Whatever you've got to do." Anders looked at Michele and she squeezed his and again, reassuring him she was there.

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought!**


	12. Telling the Family

Telling the Family

"I can't do this," Anders said and Michele glanced at him before turning her eyes back to the road.

"Anders, they need to know," she said gently.

"Do they really?" he said, "I mean, couldn't I just Bragi them and make them forget there was ever anything wrong?"

"No," Michele replied, "Your powers won't work on them and even if they did, they're your family which means they need to know what's going on." Anders sighed unhappily, but knew she was right. They pulled up outside the bar and saw the other's cars were already parked outside.

"Goddesses not here?" he asked.

"I figured you'd want to tell your brothers and grandfather first," Michele explained, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'll be good," he said, "Could you do me a favour though?"

"Yeah sure, what is it?" she asked.

"I've got to tell my grandfather and my brothers now," he said, "And I'll be going by work later to tell Dawn...

"I'll tell Stacey and Ingrid," she said and he smiled at her.

"Thanks," he said, "I should probably go." He went to get out of the car, but she stopped him.

"Anders," she reached out and grabbed his hand, "Everything will be fine." He leaned over and kissed her, smiling slightly before getting out of the car. He walked slowly into the bar to find Olaf and his brothers sitting around talking. However, as soon as they caught sight of Anders, all talking ceased.

"Hey," Mike said as his brother walked over and sat down.

"Hey," Anders said quietly and they all stared at him expectantly.

"Never thought I'd see Anders at a loss for words," Axl joked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. It worked. Everyone, including Anders, laughed lightly. However, it didn't last long as all eyes were soon back on Anders.

"Um, they found something on the scans," Anders said slowly and felt his hands start to shake.

"Anders," Mike said gently, "What did they find?"

"The doctor said it looks like a tumor," Anders told them.

"A tumor?" Axl said in shock.

"Cancer?" Ty asked.

"They don't know yet," Anders said, "They managed to fit me in for tomorrow to get a biopsy done."

"A biopsy?" Axl asked, "Isn't that where they take some of the thing to let them test it?" Anders nodded and Axl looked confused for a minute.

"But," he said slowly, If the tumor is in your head then doesn't that mean they'll have to cut you open?"

"They said provably not," Anders told him, "I'm not going to explain to you what they told me cause it's disgusting, but at the moment, no they won't." Axl nodded and looked slightly relieved at this news.

"How long will you have to stay in the hospital?" Mike asked.

"I need to get there at five in the morning and they're doing the biopsy at eight," Anders said, "They said I'll either be kept overnight or, depending on how I'm feeling, I could go home tomorrow night."

"Do you want one of us to drive you?" Mike asked, but Anders shook his head.

"Michele sad she'd take me," he told them.

"Well then, we will come to the hospital to keep her company," Olaf said, "No sense in her sitting around the hospital by herself while we sit around here."

"Thanks," Anders said quietly, looking down at his lap. Mike stood and walked over to his little brother. He put his hand on Anders' shoulder, causing his brother to look up.

"Everything will be fine," he said gently and Anders nodded, looking away again.

"Um, could one of you give me a ride?" he asked, "Michele rove me here, but she left to tell Ingrid and Stacey and I need to go by the office to tell Dawn what's going on."

"I'll drive you," Ty said.

"Thanks," Anders stood and looked at the others, "I'll see you guys later."

"Come by later, okay?" Mike said.

"Yeah," Anders nodded, "Me and Michele will probably be by later tonight, so we'll see you then." He and Ty walked out, leaving Mike, Olaf, and Axl alone.

"Anders will be alright? Won't he?" Axl asked and Mike and Olaf exchanged looks.

"He'll be fine," Mike said, "But, as much as Anders might hate to admit it, I think he's going to need a lot of help before this is over."

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! It always makes me really happy when I see someone has reviewed or followed my story :)**

**There is a poll up on my profile for this story and I would love some input from anyone who reads this! I had a hard time wording the question cause the thing I have in mind is not related to the tumor itself, but is also not just something random I would throw in. **

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Thanks!**


	13. Goddesses

Goddesses

Michele walked into Stacey's office and found Stacey and Ingrid waiting for her. They both stood as she walked in and Michele stopped in the doorway. She looked back and forth between them for a moment before she turned away, blinking rapidly.

"Oh dear, oh no," Ingrid said, moving forward and hugging Michele's one side, Stacey on the other.

"No, you know how I feel about hugging," Michele groaned.

"We also know how you feel about crying and yet here we are," Ingrid said. They led Michele over to the couch and sat on either side of her.

"What happened?" Ingrid asked.

"It's a tumor," Michele said quietly.

"A tumor?" Stacey said in shock, "They can remove those? Right?"

"They did some more tests today to see the rate it's progressing," Michele said, "He's scheduled to go in for a biopsy tomorrow morning so the doctors can get a better idea what they're working with."

"What do you mean 'what they're working with'?" Ingrid asked.

"They need to fid out whether it's cancerous or not," Michele told her.

"Cancerous?" Stacey said, "But that kills people."

"Yes, thank you Stacey," Michele snapped.

"Sorry," Stacey said, "I just meant... Anders isn't going to die. He's going to stick around and continue to be a prick for years." Michele laughed quietly, but it quickly developed into a sob. Before Michele could stop it happening, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was sobbing.

"Oh, oh, it's okay," Ingrid said, wrapping her arms tightly around Michele. "I don't want him to die," she choked, gripping Ingrid's and Stacey's arms, "I don't want him to die."

**I know this chapter was kind of short, but the next one will be longer.**

**Kind of been a bad week so any feedback would be much appreciated. Also, there is a poll on my profile regarding this story, so go check it out if you haven't already :)**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you guys liked it!**


	14. Dawn

Dawn

"You okay?" Ty asked.

"Yes Ty, for the fifth time, I am fine," Anders said, exasperated.

"Sorry," Ty said, "You just seem to be holding it together really well."

"What do you want me to do? Curl up in a ball on the ground and cry?" Anders said.

"No," Ty said slowly, "I just want to know you're actually alright and you're not doing your typical Anders thing and saying you're fine when you're not." Anders didn't respond and when Ty glanced at him he saw Anders was staring out the window.

"So, how come Michele drove you to Mike's?" Ty finally said.

"Doctor says I'm not allowed to drive in case I pass out again," Anders told him, "So Michele said she'd drive me. Makes sense since she's at my flat most of the time anyway."

"You two are, uh," Ty started and Anders looked at him.

"Yes Ty?" Anders said, smirking slightly at his brother.

"Well, I just mean - you guys aren't just sleep together, right?" Ty said, "I mean, you actually care about each other?"

"Yes Ty, we are exactly like you and Dawn," Anders said sarcastically, "We're going to be all lovey and bake together and-"

"Alright, alright," Ty said, "Forget I asked." Anders laughed quietly before he spoke genuinely.

"No, but seriously," Anders said, "It's good, me and Michele. It's different. I mean it must be cause I gave her an out and she's still here."

"What d'you mean?" Ty asked.

"Before we knew whether it was a God or mortal thing we talked. She said she was in it no matter what cause I hadn't signed up for this any more than she had," Anders said.

"She loves you man," Ty said quietly as they pulled up outside j:PR, "And you know f you need anything, we're all here for you."

"I know," Anders said, "Now, I need to go talk to Dawn so I will see you at Mike's later." He got out of the car, waved goodbye to his brother, and walked inside. He entered his office and saw Dawn sitting at her desk.

"Anders," she said, looking up and seeing him standing there, "How are you?"

"Alright," Anders said, "Can we talk?" Dawn nodded and stood, following Anders over to his couch and sitting next to him.

"Um, so you know I went into the hospital to get the test results," he said and Dawn nodded, "Well, they found what they believe is a tumor and I need to go back in tomorrow morning to get a biopsy done. So, I'm going to be out of the office for a couple days, but-" He was cut off when Dawn suddenly threw her arms around him. He sat there for a moment, trying to determine what to do, but before he could react Dawn had let go.

"Sorry," she said, "I'm sorry. I just- never mind. You take as much time as you need, alright? Don't worry about the business, everything will be taken care of."

"I'm not worried about the business," Anders said, "I've called you when I was on a plane out of here and you've managed to keep us in business. This is probably the first time I've ever told you I won't be here more than ten minutes before I leave so I'm not worried." There was a fresh set of tears gathering in Dawn's eyes and Anders sighed, holding his arms out and allowing Dawn to fall into them.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, squeezing him tightly.

"What are you sorry for?" he asked.

"You're the one going into the hospital and yet here you are comforting me," she said, pulling back.

"Trust me Dawn, I'll be fine," he said, "You don't need to worry about me."

"Well tough," she said, "Because I do anyway. How's Michele handling all this?"

"She's been great," he said, "Neither of us were really expecting this and it's been hard, but she's been great. She's driving me to the hospital tomorrow and said she's going to stay there and pester the doctor's for information." Dawn laughed and nodded.

'Well, since she's a doctor there it shouldn't be too difficult," she said.

"Yeah," Anders nodded slowly as he tried to focus on what Dawn was saying and not on the pit in his stomach as he thought about the next day.

**Alright, so I'm having a terrible week and working on fanfiction is something that always helps me feel better so I decided to upload another chapter today.**

**I hope you guys liked this one and there will be a new chapter up next Thursday!**

**Let me know what you thought and check out the poll on my profile regarding this story! Thanks for reading!**


	15. Night Before

Night Before

"Are you alright?" Michele asked as she followed Anders into his flat.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "I just couldn't stand the way they were all looking at me like I'm dying."

"They're worried about you," she said quietly.

"We don't know there's anything to worry about yet," he snapped and then his face fell, "Sorry, I just-sorry."

"It's alright," Michele said, "Anders, are you sure you're okay?" He didn't reply, but turned away from her and leaned against the couch.

"Anders?" she said, walking up behind and resting a hand on his shoulder. He turned suddenly and pulled Michele against him, kissing her harshly. She gripped his shoulder tightly and pressed herself against him. She lifted her other hand and rested it on his cheek only to discover his face was damp. She pulled back and opened her eyes.

"Anders, you're crying," she said. He opened his eyes and shook his head.

"It's fine," he said, trying to pull her close again.

"No it's not," she said, "Please Anders, talk to me."

"I just-I-" he stammered, "This test tomorrow could go one of two ways. Either it's fine and we time to figure things out, or it's not fine and I don't know what'll happen then. But right now, we don't know which it's gonna be and I'm scared Michele. I'm really damn scared. and tonight I just need to be close to you before we figure out whether or not everything's falling to shit. Please Michele." She stared at him for a moment, running a hand through his hair before she leaned in and pressed their lips together again.

**Hope you guys liked it! I know this one was short so I'm gonna be uploading the next chapter today as well!**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**


	16. Biopsy

Biopsy

"I feel ridiculous," Anders said, tugging at the uncomfortable hospital gown again.

"You look ridiculous," Michele told him.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be making me feel better or something?" Anders said.

"I tried, remember? I told you you looked fine and that everyone hates those gowns," Michele reminded him, "But if you're going to keep going on about how ridiculous you look then I'm going to start agreeing with you." Anders huffed and looked away from her out the window of the tiny hospital room. He felt the bed dip and a hand on his cheek, pulling his face around.

"Come on now, no sulking," she said, "Everything's gonna be fine." He nodded, but said nothing.

"Mr. Johnson?" a nurse walked into the room, "We're ready for you." Anders nodded as Michele stood.

"I'll be here when you're done," she said quietly to him and he nodded again. Michele watched them leave before she sighed and walked down the hall to the waiting room. She sat in one of the hard, plastic chairs and began her wait. She was only there for a half hour when Mike, Ty, Dawn, Olaf, and Axl arrived.

"How long has he been in?" Mike asked, sitting next to her.

"Not long," she said, "They were running a bit behind." Mike nodded and then looked at her again.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said, "I'm tired, but we were here really early, so..."

"That's not what I meant," Mike said, "How are you handling all this?"

"I'm not going anywhere Mike," she said, "Anders is in this for the long run and so am I, no matter what happens today." He nodded and smiled gently at her before they lapsed into silence. They were joined a little while later by Stacey and Ingrid who sat on Michele's other side. They sat in silence for several hours, all of them wondering what was taking so long. Finally, a nurse walked down the hall and they all stood up.

"Everything's fine," the nurse said, "They've just moved him to a recovery room and he should wake up soon."

"Can we see him?" Ty asked and the nurse nodded, gesturing for them to follow. They walked down the hall and she opened one of the doors, allowing them all to go in. They entered and saw Anders was awake, but looked exhausted.

"You look even worse than you did this morning," Michele said, causing him to laugh.

"Shut up," he rasped. They only stayed for a few minutes as Anders could barely keep his eyes open. They said their goodbyes and left, leaving Michele and Anders in silence.

**Alright, hope you liked it! Does it seem like I've forgotten about Bragi's involvement? Probably, but I promise I have not :) That will be explained in a few chapters :)**

**New chapter next Thursday! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**


	17. One Week Later: Not so Positive News

One Week Later: Some Not so Positive News

Anders and Michele walked down the hall towards Dr. Phillips office. Anders steps started to falter and Michele reached over to lace her fingers through his, squeezing his hand reassuringly. They made it to the office and Michele knocked on the open door, causing Phillips to look up.

"Ah, Anders, Michele, come in," she said, "Have a seat. I'll just go get Dr. Keating and then I'll be back." She left the room as Anders and Michele sat.

"You okay?" Michele asked.

"Yeah, fine," Anders said, "Either there's something in my head that will kill me or there's something in my head that may not kill me. Meanwhile, we still don't know what Bragi's issue was."

"Alright, relax," she said calmly, "First of all, no matter what the results are today, there is nothing saying it's going to kill you. And as for the whole Bragi thing, Olaf is still working on that."

"That means we may never know what happened," Anders mumbled and Michele laughed quietly. At that moment, Dr. Phillips returned, with Dr. Keating behind her. Keating had a folder in his hands and Anders and Michele knew those were the test results.

"We'll get right to it," Dr. Phillips said, "I'm afraid the results aren't good..." Anders didn't hear the rest of what she said, at least not all of it. He felt like he was underwater and only heard bits of the conversation: _"chemo... soon as possible..."_ He didn't notice when they finished, but Michele squeezed his hand as she stood and he stood with her. he reached his hand out and shook both Phillips' and Keating's hands and then he and Michele left. They walked out of the hospital in silence and climbed into Michele's car. They sat in silence for a moment before Michele started the car and they drove off. They were half was to Anders flat when Michele suddenly pulled over. Anders looked over in confusion and saw Michele had one hand over her mouth as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Oh, no, Michele," Anders said, not certain what to do. He reach over and wrapped his arms around and after only a moment they both relaxed.

"It's alright" he said quietly, "Everything's fine." She shook her head and pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

"Sorry," she said quietly, "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's okay," Anders said gently.

"You're really sick Anders," she said.

"I know, it may kill me," he said and then grabbed her hand, "But I'm gonna fight it. Come on Michele, you know me, I don't do what anyone tells me to. They tell me this thing could kill me and I'm gonna make sure it doesn't." She laughed wetly and nodded before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around him again.

**Hope you guys liked it! New chapter next Thursday and when I post the next chapter I will officially be home again! My last exam is next week and then I'll be done my first year at uni so yay! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!**


End file.
